Reality Copywriting: Plenty Ventured, Plenty Gained

Ecolumn - Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Plenty Ventured, Plenty Gained

I just finished my accounting for 2006 -- or at least enough to know where I stand. There's still capital depreciation to calculate, plus some use of home formulas to run, but I'll save that FUN for February.

(Looks like I owe about $1,030 in Canada's infamously annoying Goods and Service Tax -- all of which I have already spent.)

Looks like 2006 fell shy of six-figures by about 2/3rds, with $36,432.21 in revenue. Still, far more than I've ever made as a writer. Far more than most writers make in a decade.

I see I could have easily brought in $60-$100,000 if I had just focused on writing copy for clients. Instead time and money was invested in my own internet marketing ventures.

Now to be a copywriter, you'll probably do okay if you just know how to write effective copy. As long as your clients understand how to position the copy in an effective marketing system.

But if you want to work online or do mail order from your home, you need to know how to write both good copy and how to market effectively.

The greatest copy in the world can't make up for bad marketing or bad economics.

If you think you're going to get rich selling a $27 product online with no backend, then good luck. I'm not saying it's not possible, but you really need to know what you are doing, and where you are doing it.

I didn't try selling any ebooks, but similar ventures, nonetheless.

Some of which are proving profitable now. Others have been abandoned.

I may only have made $35K last year, yet through experience, trial and error, and "mistakes" I received a $100K education.

I've seen what's been hyped up and what is reality. Where some things only work cuz' someone got lucky, and why other work just because the person is smart.

For example, there are those who start working online and make six-figures quickly. With a little more research I discovered in many of those cases they were marketing to addicts.

One example is the online-poker arena. Lots of information products out there teaching people how to win at online poker. It's not too hard to write copy for something like that. As one copywriter's Adwords campaign says, it's easy enough to sell water in the desert.

My compliments to information marketers who find niche markets and sell specialized products. Granted it's become more competitive and crowded, so unlike five years ago, you need to know what you're doing.

Anyways, if you want to move fast, you're probably better off doing one thing at time. Master copywriting first, work for clients who appreciate good copy, make plenty of money. Then you can go into marketing.

If you want to combine them, like I did, that's fine too. Just mix fast and in equal portions.

Capture, captivate, convert,

John A. Manley

p.s. To write good copy you need to run it through 62 "fail-safe tests" to ensure that it will produce money for your client. You can discover all 62 at…

www.realitycopywriting.com/ad_magic

p.p.s. And if you want to mix in some internet marketing then you can start with a free course available at…

www.realitycopywriting.com/instantinternetprofits

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